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Why The Lack Of A Maternal Figure In The Secret Life Of Bees

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Anabelle Slavutsky ENG2D-1 Mr. Kenny 2024-06-09. The damage the lack of a maternal figure does. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a compelling story that takes place in the mid-to-late 1900s in Southern California. The story is about a young girl and her journey to escaping her life with her father, T.J., and saving her black Nanny Rosaleen from spending time in prison. On the surface, the story appears to be a regular story about a young girl's journey through southern California, but I believe the story has more depth and is a lesson on the importance of a mother in life and the value they hold, no matter the species, and how the lack of a mother does irreversible damage. I believe the damage of not having a mother affects all …show more content…

The quote describes a situation in nature where the creature is lost without a mother to guide them and very obviously is missing a piece of them. This quote shows the importance of the mother and the hole that is made when they do not have one. When Rosaleen is put up in jail, Lily is incapable of leaving her side throughout the entire event and puts everything at risk to stay with her. Lily has an unbreakable bond with Rosaleen, and she is the only maternal figure she has ever had in life, so when she is put up in jail, Lily decides to go with her to her cell. When Lily is then separated from her, she takes a massive risk, puts together a clever plan, and sneaks Rosaleen out of handcuffs just to simply stay with her. Later on in the novel, Lily finds a temporary home at the Boatwright sisters house. She begins to find a home at the house and stays longer than anyone anticipated. The reason I believe Lily is continually incapable of ever leaving is because she is finally filling that craving for maternal love she has been craving all along. The craving for maternal love ends up controlling every aspect of her life and decision-making because there is such a large need for her or any creature in general. In the story, Lily lacks proper guidance from anyone in her

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"The Secret Life of Bees", by Sue Monk Kidd, is a first-person narrative through the eyes of 14-year-old Lily Owens, a white girl in 1964 South Carolina who runs away with her African-American maid Rosaleen in search of clues to reveal her mother's past. From the gecko, Lily discloses the abusive conditions of living with her father, T. Ray, since the violent death of her mother that she expresses was her fault and longs to find some answers that will help her move on. As further events unfold, Rosaleen and Lily manage to escape to Tiburon, a city she finds her mother had spent time in, and hunt down an African-American honey farmer, August Boatwright, to whom they find after stumbling across her honey jar with a Black Virgin Mary on it. August

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